13. Cleveland Jazz Guitarists

13. Cleveland Jazz Guitarists itariSts who grew up in still a teenager. He joined the leveland have been among musicians' union when he was 16. By Gthe most important and most 1940, when he was 17, he was playing acclaimed in jazz history. They all at parties and country clubs around drew their inspiration from the all Cleveland. "I played with band leaders time grand masters of jazz guitar, Clint Noble and Jack Horowitz," he Django Reinhardt and Charlie said, but he had bigger plans. Christian. "In 1941, I went to New York to become famous. My father borrowed Fred Sharp $50 on his life insurance policy and Anyone who was even a casual gave me the money to go. Joe Sharp listener ofjazz in Cleveland from the never had money at all. In New York, 1940s to the '80s probably heard I put in for my union card. You had to guitarist Fred Sharp. He played with stay six months to get your card and I some ofthe biggest names in jazz and went to the union floor every day and was the man Jim Hall credited as his started to get some club dates. The teacher. scale was $7 then for a club date, but In the mid-1930s, when Sharp was most everybody paid $4." growing up in the Glenville area of Courtesy of Fred Sharp When he was still in his teens, Fred Sharp and Babik Reinhardt, Cleveland and listening to music on Sharp remembered he almost starved the 23-year-old son of Sharp's the radio, the guitar, with a few guitar idol Ojango Reinhardt, in trying to become famous in New exceptions, was not a solo jazz voice, Paris in 1967 York. "I went broke in no time," he but a rhythm instrument. Then one said, "and did not become famous! I day, Sharp heard a Cleveland guitarist on a local lived in a small room with no windows at 18th Street and broadcast. 8th Avenue, below a whorehouse and above a stable. I "At the time I started studying the guitar," said Sharp, rented the room for about $5 a week. I went so broke ''the only guitar you ever heard was in the big bands. My there that I was down to pennies. I remember walking father used to run in and say, 'Fred, Listen quick! Is that down 33rd Street to the main Post Office and going a guitar?' That's all I heard until Dick Lurie had a through all the pay telephones to see if I could fmd any morning radio program and played some solos. He really change. I had almost no money!" got me started." He found just enough money to take a cab back to his Sharp ran out and bought a guitar at a shop on small room. He planned to clean it out and call his father Prospect A venue. He remembered, "It was a Regal and in Cleveland to send some money for him to come home, cost $4.95. I·bought it at Schubert's Music House on but, in the cab, Fred suddenly got lucky. Prospect and I played it until my fmgers started to bleed "I put my hand down on the seat and there was a roll under the nails. I said, 'This is no good!' We took it of bills. I think it was like $50. I didn't tell anybody. I back and my mother bought me a $30 Gibson. That same put it right in my pocket. It saved my life! I had 50 bucks guitar today would probably be a collector's item. It and I ate. That lasted two or three days." would probably be worth $300." Sharp paid $10.66 for a train ticket to come home to He took his fIrst lesson from Max Fischer at Cleveland. But he returned to New York at least four or Schubert's. With his brother, Jackie, Fred began playing fIve times later, still seeking fame and fortune in the jazz on children's radio programs on Cleveland's old WTAM. world. He struggled in New York off and on from 1942 "And I studied," he said, " with Jerry Stone, a buddy to 1944 and fmally decided to give up and come home. of (famous banjo player) Eddie Peabody. I learned very In 1945, he met and taught a 15-year-01d Cleveland quickly with Jerry. He was in the old Hippodrome guitarist named Jim Hall. Sharp also formed his own trio Theatre Building. I was with him at least a year. So, I in Cleveland. They played at some of the best spots in had some formal training, much more than most guitar the city and with some ofthe biggest names in jazz. players today. Now, they pick it up, learn a few chords, "I had Hank Kohout on piano," remembered Sharp, and they're off." "and Walter Breeze on bass. We were at Chin's Golden It was Stone who introduced Sharp to the guitar music Dragon on 105th Street. Alternating with us was the Art ofBelgian gypsy Django Reinhardt, an all-time master of Tatum Trio." the jazz guitar. Later, Sharp accumulated the world's The Tatum Trio included bassist Slam Stewart and largest collection of Reinhardt records. guitarist Tiny Grimes, who later spent years playing at Sharp began playing gigs in Cleveland when he was Gleason's at East 55th and Woodland. While playing 140 Cleveland Jazz History opposite the Tatum Trio in Cleveland, Sharp fmally got burning the candle at both ends. He was the only guy I the big break that had eluded him in New York. knew who could play the piano while he was sleeping." "The Adrian Rollini Trio came to Chin's and played But now, Sharp was playing guitar only on a part in the restaurant," he said. "Their guitar player, Allen time basis. He had become a successful manufacturer' s Hamlin, was going in the navy and Adrian needed a guitar agent, selling electronic equipment. player. He didn't know anybody. He came in and heard He had first became interested in ham radio and me one night and said, 'Can you come to New York?, I electronics through a Cleveland friend named Al Gross, said, 'Are you kidding?! ' an unheralded Cleveland inventor. In 1938, while still Rollini had played with legendary artists like Bix in high school in Cleveland, Gross invented the walkie Beiderbecke in the 1920s. By the mid-1940s, he had talkie. During World War II, Gross invented a top switched from bass saxophone to vibraphone and formed secret intelligence communications system for the his own group. government. In 1949, he invented the first wireless Sharp went to New York with Rollini and toured with pager and later, the first wireless telephone and citizens him for five years, playing mostly long engagements at band radio. top clubs around the country. Sharp was also doing some electronic inventing. He developed a method of transmitting slow-scan color television pictures over ham radio. He also learned to speak French, toured Europe eight times, became an oil painter, and wrote about jazz and electronics for a variety ofmagazines. In 1967, Sharp went to Europe and met Babik Reinhardt, the 23-year-old son of the Clevelander's longtime guitar hero, Django Reinhardt, at the Disques Vogue recording studio in Paris. During that meeting, Babik gave Sharp the guitar his father had played during his American debut in Cleveland in 1946. "I took it to a special packaging company and had it professionally packed," said Sharp, "and shipped to my home in Cleveland." But, when Sharp got home, there was no sign ofthe historic guitar. About a month later, he went to the customs office at Cleveland Hopkins Airport and learned Reinhardt's guitar had been sitting there, waiting for someone to claim it. The customs officer said they Courtesy of Fred Sharp The Adrian Rollini Trio in 1945: couldn't make out the address and just held it. (LtoR) George Nyder, Rollini and Fred Sharp For about 15 years in Cleveland, Sharp played with jazz flutist and author Mark Gridley, who said Sharp One time when the trio was playing at a theatre in was one ofthe best rhythm guitar players in the world. Washington, Sharp remembered George Nyder In 1990, Fred Sharp sold his electronics business and, waking up when it was fairly dark outside. He yelled with his wife Iris, retired to Sarasota, Florida, where he to Sharp, "Hurry! Get dressed! We missed two began playing with such jazz names as Bobby shows!!" Sharp called the hotel operator who said it Rosengarden, Bob Haggart, Dick Hyman, Jerry Jerome was 5 a.m., not 5 p.m. and AI Klink. Other Florida musical neighbors included Sharp made one album and several records with saxophonist Gerry Mulligan and bassist Milt Hinton. Rollini's group and later played with Red Norvo's big The Sharps' son, Todd, became a leading rock band. guitarist. He toured with Bob Welch, Hall and Oates, By the 1950s, Sharp was back in Cleveland playing Mick Fleetwood and Rod Stewart. He also recorded guitar with various groups. He remembered one time several albums and composed movie and TV scores. when he was working with pianist Chick Chaiken at the Colony downtown. Chaiken was busy performing Bill de Arango almost every night somewhere and operating his Currier In the late 1940s, Clevelander Bill de Arango was Chaikin Music Store and school in Cleveland Heights one ofthe most respected jazz guitarists in the country, during the day.

Load more